Main South 9, Framingham 6 (8 inn.): Frustrating night for Post 74

Monday

Jun 30, 2014 at 10:11 PMJun 30, 2014 at 10:13 PM

By Kevin J. StoneDaily News correspondent

FRAMINGHAM — In the topsy turvy Zone 4 American Legion season this year, it seems no lead is safe.Nothing exemplified that more than the game between Framingham and Main South at Bowditch Field on Monday night.Post 74 led by four runs in the sixth inning, only to lose 9-6 in eight innings.The loss leaves Framingham at 8-8 while Main South is now 11-6. DJ Scavone had the game-winning three-run home run for Main South with no outs in the eighth."We wasted a lot of opportunities tonight," said Post 74 manager Bunkie Smith. "Bases loaded (and) one out in the first and we only get one run. That's not good enough. Then, a four-run lead in the sixth, that's not a game we lose, or at least we shouldn't lose."The umpiring crew tonight was atrocious for both sides and tried to ruin a good baseball game, but that's not the reason we lost tonight. It's on us."After leaving seven men on in the first four innings, Post 74 found itself in the middle of a 2-2 game heading to the fifth.Framingham finally pushed four runs across in the fifth inning to take a 6-2 lead, then seemed to have their sixth win in the last seven games in hand when they took a 6-4 lead into the top of the seventh needing just three more outs.But Main South got to reliever Andy Mooney, tying the game with two runs in the top of the inning to make it 6-6.Prior to the blown lead for Post 74, Marco Roffo got Framingham's big fifth inning started with a double to deep right field. Matt Cronin quickly drove him in with a single to center, breaking the 2-2 tie.Richie Ferreira stepped to the plate next, and after Cronin went to second on a wild pitch, Ferreira drove him in with a single to center for a 4-2 lead.Ferreira then stole second during a Joel Ortiz at bat, and came home moments later when Ortiz ripped a triple to center. Framingham's sixth run came in the form of an RBI single to right from Nick Constantine, scoring Ortiz.Post 74 starter Joe Osborne (5IP, 3R, 6H, 4BB, 4K) came out to start the sixth inning but hit the first batter he faced, prompting Smith to pull him in favor of Mooney.Main South got to Mooney for two runs in the frame, but Framingham still took its 6-4 lead into the seventh.Extra innings were soon on the horizon as Main South loaded the bases with its first three batters of the inning, and Mooney was pulled in favor of Brian Leblanc. Leblanc couldn't completely shut the door as Main South tied the game with two runs, sending the teams to the eighth when Scavone’s home run proved decisive.Post 74 had a golden chance to break the game open in the bottom of the first inning, loading the bases with just one out, but a Matt Cronin walk with the bases loaded was the only run Framingham could muster.Main South took a 2-1 in the top of the second, but Framingham quickly tied the game back up at 2-2 in the bottom of the inning.Corey Lerner led off the second with a single then went to third on a Mooney single to right with a perfectly executed hit-and-run. Lerner would later come home on a wild pitch during a Roffo at-bat, but again the one run was all Framingham could muster in the frame."We have no business losing that game," said Smith. "The umpires were a disgrace and tried to ruin that game, but we had a four-run lead with six outs to go."That's not a game that good teams lose. We need to be much better than that going forward."

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